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Hi! My name is Leslie. I am a work at home mom with 3 children under 10, a loud husband, two in-laws (another day), two hamsters, a dog that destroys everything, and fish (the only ones who don't complain, they are my favorite family members).
I love to read. Don't have much time for it, but I do love to read.
I have a friend with two beautiful children, a boy and a girl. I was watching the little girl be a little girl, racking my brain because she reminded me of someone I knew. Someone familiar.
Aha! A Little Princess, with some Secret Garden, and a bit of Anne of Green Gables.
Now her mother, my friend, actually taught literature in high school. Literature!
I was sure she would be delighted (as I would be) to have her daughter compared to these delightful girls! Right?
To my utter disappointment and shock, SHE HAD NEVER READ THESE BOOKS! And it gets worse! SHE HAD NEVER HEARD OF THEM!
My jaw literally dropped! Maybe I got the title wrong (I mean it's not rocket surgery, but maybe I mixed the names up?)?? Maybe she just forgot the title.
I summed up the stories. Nope. "Please email me the titles. I'll check them out." She actually said this a bit snobbishly. Like they were on par with "See Spot Run".
Well, a lot could be said, I guess for the educational system - a lit teacher, a self-professed lover of the classics, had never even heard of these. BI-ZARRE!
But my thoughts were that she missed a huge amount of joy and fun. I loved these stories when I was little, when I was a teen, when I was in my twenties, and now that I'm in my thirties, I look forward to reading these again. This time with my little princess, in our secret garden, pretending we are besties with Anne.
Many thanks for allowing me to be a part of this fun blog...at least until you come to your senses! ;)
Well confession time, I suppose. I grew up in a pretty literary household and I never read any of those as a kid. *hangs head in shame* In my defense, I had heard of all of them. I'm very familiar with the stories and frequently watched movie versions of all three (poor excuse, I know, but I do still adore the Meghan Follows version of Anne of Green Gables...)
ReplyDeleteI just read The Secret Garden for the first time last year at the ripe young age of 28 and I really do intend to read the other two as well. It's a little strange to encounter children's classics for the first time as an adult but I suppose the stories are so timeless because they really are treasures for children of all ages!
I think your friend is missing out more than her kids. For me, reading a story to my son and / or daughter at night is the highlight of my day.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ManOfLaBook.com
I think your friend must have been born fully-grown. She was never a child.
ReplyDeleteI actually understand not reading classic children's literature. But, I mean she went to college, to, um, learn about other horizons, and then she was paid to, you know, teach literature.
ReplyDeleteAnd to not even have heard of the movies...THAT'S bad! ;)
Oh and forgot to mention I awarded you the One Lovely Blog Award here: http://herbookself.blogspot.com/2010/09/bbaw-future-treasures-one-lovely-blog.html Congrats!
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Leslie. So nice to have you on board! Your friend is deprived and maybe depraved. Suggest that she follow this blog. Let me know if she is on her way and I'll delete my 'depraved' comment. However, I think we all agree it's a bit strange.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Leslie! Thanks for joining us here at Mrs. BG!
ReplyDeleteThat is just wrong! Even nonbookish folks have at least heard of the movies, haven't they? Your friend must be in the witness protection program and the 'literature teacher' past is just a cover! Really, that is the only explanation that makes sense--- Unless she is an alien. ;o)
Confession time: I didn't read the Secret Garden till my late 20s BUT I had heard of it-- DeLynne talked about it often when we were kids. It is now one of my fave rereads.
Btw, I'm curious--- how did this affect your friendship?
Thanks for thinking of Mrs. BG, Lisa!
ReplyDeleteLOL @ Lisa and Delynne.
ReplyDeleteYes, it has actually made me kind of look at her different. Is that wrong?
+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteHi, Leslie! =)
I've never met the lady you write about here, but if she is anything like other Literature majors-turned-teachers I know, then I've seen this attitude towards Children's Classics before. There are many high-brow readers who think books written for children can't be that good. (Never mind that L.M. Montgomery wrote some of the most beautiful prose ever!!!)
Anyway, I'm sure she has heard of those titles, she just hasn't put two and two together. ("Oh, you mean those were classics?")
Thanks for following my blog :)
ReplyDeleteThese three books were amongst my favourites as a child, especially 'A Little Princess'. I imagined myself as a princess for practically a whole year after first reading it!
I LOVE Anne of GG, but alas have not read A Secret Garden and don't believe I have heard of A Little Princess (will have to remedy that). Where was I? Thanks for the education. I have the book The Forgotten Garden on my TBR shelf, but will forego My Secret Garden :)
ReplyDeleteKim-- I am stunned!! Actually, I can't believe it---- Surely, you have watched the Shirly Temple movie 'A little Princess' or the later versions? You must read A Secret Garden-- so you will be charmed by the cameo by Frances Hodgson Burnett in the Forgotten Garden!
ReplyDelete